Chapter 20: Fight

Everything around me started to move to fast. Aro started calling orders at such a fast pass I couldn't keep up. Vampires moved in a blurr around me, making me dizzy. Charlie and my brothers all turned to there Goras form, waiting for the inevitable. Alice and Jasper were staring into each others eyes so intensely it hurt to watch them. Emmett and Rosalie were showing there love to each other more physically. Carlisle was holding Esme close in the protection of his arms.

I turned to Edward and everything else faded away. This could be the last time I stood beside him. The last time I could look at him or touch him. I slowly brought my hand up and brushed it against his check, making the coolness of his skin imprint into my memory. His eyes bore into mine as he brushed his hand through my hair. I wanted to cry. Run. But I wanted to be strong. For Edward. For my family.

Edward brought both hands to hold my face and roughly brought me into his kiss. It was desperate and full of longing. I could literally taste the bitter sweetness of the end. I brought my arm around his neck and pulled him closer to me. His whole body was engulfing mine but it was not enough. It would never be enough. I tried to fill him up with all my love through that kiss. I needed him to know how much I loved him.

Gasping I broke the kiss and just stared into my meleth's eyes. All my emotions - my fear, my determination, my love, my pain - could clearly be seen through my eyes. No words were needed. With one more chaste kiss I concentrated once again on my inner part. The all too familiar shiver ran through my whole body. My eyes opened and I was back on all fours.

All around me vampires were standing, waiting. They looked so disciplined that I felt intimidated. All my family were standing amongst the ranks of vampires. Waiting. I looked up at Edward who was standing stiffly beside me, a concentrated look upon his face. Before I could ask him anything the sound of crumpling stones filled the air.

They worked fast. One second there was a roof, the next the air was filled with wings and chaos. There was no speeches from opposing sides to declare war. There was no time to get adjusted to the idea of battle. It just came. All around vampires were grouping to take on individual Goras. But that left them at a disadvantage. Where there were two vampires there were twice as many Goras.

The vampires' powers were helping. I could hear through the clamor of growls and roars the pitiful cries of Jane's victims. I could see Alice working with Simon. Whenever Simon had to move incase of getting pulverized, Alice repositioned herself at an advantage point. Jasper was sending wave after wave of fear through the Goras he and Emmett were fighting.

I turned in a complete circle, but I couldn't find the rest of my family through the chaos. I couldn't see were m father and Mitch were. Were they already gone from this life? What about Carlisle and Esme, hell even Rosalie? I looked to my side, but my meleth wasn't there. Edward? The panic rose in me, but my eyes caught sight of the all too familiar bronze hair. The idiot was taking on a Goras by himself.

Edward moved with agility and grace, able to keep a step ahead of his opponent. I flinched whenever the Goras took a swing at my meleth. Hatred flowed through me like lava from a volcano. The thought of that Goras hurting Edward created a red veil that covere my eyes. I was about to go and help him when something heavy smashed into my side.

I was sent flying by the force. All my emotions left me as I made contact with the wall. The bricks shattered around me on impact and I couldn't keep the yelp of pain at bay. I could feel the gashes in my side, but I didn't get a chance to assess my bodily damage before I felt teeth clamp around my throat.

The teeth pierced my skin, and I had just enough time to pray whoever it was didn't puncture an artery, before I was flung into the air, maing contact with another wall. I collapsed, all the air left my lungs in a state of exhaustion. The blows came so suddenly and quickly that my mind had trouble possessing it. Pain captured most of my body, but I tried to force it to the back of my mind. Mind over matter. Breathing heavily I was able to see my attacker coming towards me. He was Goras, with dark bay skin. I wouldn't have been able to recognize him had it not been for his hungry eyes.

Discretely, I lathered my paws with saliva and wiped at the wounds I could reach, mostly my neck and sides. My attacker was to busy in his triumphant high to notice.

"You know none of this would have happened if you just accepted my offer," James purred. He practically strutted over to my collapsed body with an air of arrogance. How I wished I had the strength to wipe that disgusting smile of his face. But I waited. I could already start to feel my body healing. I just needed a few more seconds.

"You're not my meleth," I whispered pathetically. I needed him to think I was defeated.

"No, I'm not." James nodded that vile smile still on his face. "But does it really matter? Humans are with people they aren't truly suppose to be with but they still are. Why should we have been any different?"

I waited for him to move closer. My breathing started to get steadier. Most of my wounds were already healed. Just a little longer.

"And if you had accepted me as your mate," James continued, "then all this," he looked out towards where the fighting was going on, "All this war wouldn't have happened."

"No," I hissed feeling my energy coursing through me. "All this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been a selfish ass hole!"

With my new strength I launched myself at him. I was able dig my claws into his side before James' shocked state wore off. I quicly backed away from him as his wings tried to land a blow to knock me down. Seeing that I was ready for his attack he took to the sky. He circled me over head, blood dripping from his fresh wound. He was playing with me. A growl emanated from me at his carelessness and childness. He really was an ass. But I could find a little patient and wait for him to grow up.

He dive bomb so quickly that I only had a second to respond. Not fast enough. He landed on my back –a most awkward position. I extracted my wings, flinging him off of me. I crouched down in a defensive position. I jumped at his exposed neck hoping to get an upper hand, but he was fast. As soon as I left the ground one of his paws made contact with my face, sending me to the ground again. I could feel the sting and the blood flowing across my check, but I ignored it. I quickly jumped up and rounded towards James, ready for his next attack. It didn't come.

I hadn't heard anything to warn me, so it took me a moment to register the sight before me. James' crumpled body layed on the ground, blood pooling from his neck, a look of shock on still face. And there was Edward, standing like an angle of death, with James' extracted throat in hand. He stood still for a moment before dropping the thoat unceremoniously on James' body with a look of pure hatred on his face.

My mind registered everything slowly. James' body. His throat. Edward covered in blood. Wait? Irrationally I ran over to my meleth and stated looking for wounds.

"Are you hurt?' My voice shook slightly at the thought. His shirt was practically a rag now from all the scratches in it, but I couldn't see any flesh wounds.

Arms wrapped around my neck bringing me into a fierce hug.

"Am I hurt?" Edward said growled. I cold hear the strain in his voice. "Do you know the heart attack I just went through when I couldn't find you and then…that's" he spit at James' deceased body "thoughts caught my attention." To aggravated to keep talking he just crushed me closer to his chest.

The smell of Edward wiped away my worry. He was safe and that was all that mattered. The fact that James was dead meant nothing to me, good riddance. All that mattered was that Edward was unharmed.

Without warning Edward pushed me behind him and went into a crouch. Perhaps I spoke to soon. Before us was another Goras about to attack. Is it strange to say that for a moment I forgot about the battle that was going on around me? I had been too preoccupied with my own thoughts that everything else had left my mind.

The Goras crouched, about to spring. The anticipation was killing me. I didn't know whether to push Edward out of the way or stand beside him.

But then everything went silent. Everyone stopped. I looked around to see everyone, vampire and Goras alike, all with their heads turned in one direction. I strained to see what caught everyone's attention only to gasp. There stood Aro before a crumpled Goras' body, Marleen's head in his hand.

Sorry for the very, very long wait for this update. I'll try to get the last ones out ASAP. There really isn't that much left :(

Review please :)